Challenged by Underwear

Okay, I'm just kidding--it just seemed like a really good title following yesterday's post. Maybe we'll save this one for another day though.

And this reminds me of something funny that happened today--depending on one's point of view. Maybe you had to have been there; I was. In fact, I was working on a somewhat involved legal document about 10 minutes before going-home time when my computer decided it didn't have enough memory and shut down the word processing program. I reopened the program and found the document in a back-up file, substantially saved up to the point where it shut down. I needed to save the back-up file as a new document and name it something different from the original document already on the computer. Are you with me so far? Boy Boss was standing at my desk, and I wanted to explain in case he needed to open the document over the weekend. To that end, I started out, "OK, so . . ." and he started laughing. "What?," I asked. "What you said was funny," he replied. "What did I say that was so funny?," I inquired. Needless to say, I was totally confused at this point. "Cheese dip," he explained. "What?," I asked. "You said 'queso.'" And then he giggled and I killed him--because just as he was chuckling about cheese dip, my word processing program shut down for lack of memory a second time. I knew then the weekend had arrived and it was time to go home.

By the way, today I stole Christmas ornaments from two children. Just thought I'd mention it before you hear it from someone else.

We had our annual Christmas gift exchange and holiday staff luncheon today at the office. We each brought a gift based on the theme "peppermints and candy canes." Sound familiar? Yeah, I liked the theme! It meant that whatever I ended up with, I was pretty sure I'd enjoy it!

It was one of those anonymous exchanges where everyone picks a number and takes a turn either picking a gift to open or stealing a gift from someone else. Once a particular gift had been stolen three times, it was "dead" and couldn't be stolen again. My number came up at the end, and a couple of the gifts I would have liked to take home were "dead," so I stole a tin full of candy cane ornaments from Chris, our Pitney Bowes copy guy. I figured they'd look terrific on my kitchen tree because I wanted to add a few more ornaments anyway--so, the perfect thing, right? Well, apparently NOT! Chris is a single dad and had mentioned that his two kids would enjoy putting the ornaments on their tree; when I stole the ornaments from him, a couple gals acted like I'd just kicked a puppy! Chris teased me quite a lot too, but actually he ended up stealing back an earlier gift he was quite happy with anyway. Want to see the ornaments?

And here they are, added to the kitchen tree--

I sure got my fair share of teasing today, didn't I? I was feeling kind of guilty for awhile, but a couple friends told me I shouldn't, so I got over it.

Now, I know sometimes some of you ask me things in the comments, and if I can, I'll write back to you directly. Other times, if more than one person asks about something, I'll decide to write a follow up. And sometimes, if I don't write a follow up quickly, I just totally forget altogether. But this time I DID remember that a couple people asked about the quilt in the Wild Child's former room (aka the Guest Room) the other day, so I thought I'd fill you in.

The pattern is a Thimbleberries pattern called Starlight Pines--here's what the pattern looks like:

Now, here's what I did to change it: First, I made all the elements of the center half sized. In other words, if the stars were 8" blocks, I made them 4" blocks (just an example--I'm not certain that was the right size). After that, I changed the borders a bit. Here's a photo from my daughter's room--you can see enough of the borders, I think, to tell the difference--I used flying geese and more stars and leaves with a couple narrow borders and then I finished it with a wider border:

This was a fun quilt to make, and I like that it makes for a good Christmas quilt but yet can be left up all winter long. I made it the year I went to the Thimbleberries retreat in Minnesota--probably about four or five years ago--and I took the class.

Finally, I wanted to thank you all for your input on the outerwear issue. I think I'm going to look for a wool blend pea coat or a leather jacket. I checked Lands End online, and because they're affiliated with Sears, I stopped at Sears on the way home but didn't find anything I thought was exactly right. On Sunday, I'll be coming home from a friend's house and driving right by the Burlington Coat Factory, so I'll probably try there--I know a couple women who have found coats there recently and have been very happy with the designer brands and quality, so it's worth a stop. I've seen a couple coats online that I like, but I'd rather try them on, feel the fabric, and buy "in person" if I can; but if not, I'll order on line. Wish me luck! I'll let you know what I end up with.

Challenged by Outerwear

I have issues.

In last night's post, I mentioned freezing my patootie off in San Francisco. Let me elaborate.

I'm a middle aged women equipped with naturally-formed fat-based insulation, living in California. In other words, for the most part, I stay reasonably warm in winter without worrying too much about outerwear. Yesterday, though, it was chilly in San Francisco as it has been in much of Northern California this past week or so.

I had brought a coat with me on the trip, but because I didn't need it when we got off the bus at 2 p.m., I left it on the bus rather than carry it around with me. When the sun started going down, marine dampness moved in, and a breeze kicked up, I got cold. All I was wearing was a pair of slacks, a cotton knit shirt, and a light weight sweater. Brrrrr!

Now, why didn't I take my coat? Because I have issues. Outerwear issues. Specifically, I haven't found a coat I really liked for maybe 20 or 30 years.

At some time in the distant past--like around the late 1970s/early 1980s--I think I had one of those down-packed corduroy coats that made everyone look like the Michelin Tire Man--except maybe Karen Carpenter. I didn't like it.

Then, the next coat I can recall was sometime in the 1990s, when I decided I wanted something more grown up, and I bought a long (calf length) black and white houndstooth coat.

It still lives in my coat closet. I didn't actually HATE it, but it felt too long and too formal to wear with more casual clothes, and I think the last time I wore a dress was probably around 1994. So I still own it and I can wear it if I need a long, black and white houndstooth coat--because it will probably never really go out of style--but most of the time it doesn't work for me.

Next, I decided I needed a more casual coat--something I could wear on weekends to the kids' soccer games and football games; something I could wear in the car on the way to work on chilly mornings. So I bought a black hooded fleece jacket and I was happy for a year or so. Then the fleece started developing little fleece balls. White fuzz, lint, and threads appeared because it seemed to always be full of static. It just never really looked clean. So I put it in my car trunk one day about eight years ago and only took it out to move it to the trunk of my next car and maybe to wear it once or twice when I would have died of hypothermia otherwise.

A couple years ago, I picked a pretty blue ultrasuade jacket with a detachable hood and some realistic looking fake fur around the hood. The body of the jacket is lightly stuffed with down or something like that. Friends and relatives complimented me. And that's the coat I still have. Now it too seems full of static--after all, the ultrasuade is a synthetic of some sort. And the light bit of down? Carrying it around on my arm feels a lot like carrying a pillow around. So you see why I like the coat best when it was shoved under the seat of the party bus?

So all afternoon, while I froze, I looked at women around me, wearing sensible coats. Something not too bulky but warm. Something that didn't create its own little static universe. Something that wasn't stuffed full of dead birds.

As you see, I have issues. I can't seem to pick out a coat I like for more than ten minutes. I thought about going shopping to look for something else, but I don't trust myself to pick out a coat anymore. So I'll ask you: Do you like your winter coat or jacket? If so, what kind do you have? What do you like about it? If you don't like your coat or jacket, what kind do you have and what don't you like? Maybe if I can get some input, I can go out and find something I'll actually wear! Remember that it's not freezing cold here--on the 15 days a year when I'd actually need a coat or jacket, it's probably between 35 and 50 degrees out, and I'm likely to be outdoors for short periods of time. So what do you think? What should I look for?

Here's what I think. I think I'd like a low-hip or thigh length jacket, natural fibers of some sort, comfortable (i.e., not stiff and not too fitted), and in a dark color--black would be excellent. I like the look of leather but I always wonder whether leather jackets are warm? Or what about wool?

I have issues. Can you help?!

Where's Waldo?

Okay, here's a little guessing game. I took this photo this afternoon. Where was I?

Seems pretty appropriate for the Christmas season, doesn't it? Okay, did you guess yet?

Now here's a photo taken this morning at 9 a.m.

We were in a party "limo" in the office parking lot. The guys there are a couple of attorneys and our office manager, making sure we started the day off right. Fun, huh? Champagne at 9 a.m. on a Wednesday morning? I think the Girls Gone Wild videos were mentioned.

Each year an attorney organization holds its annual conference on either the first or second Thursday and Friday in San Francisco. Traditionally, the staff at our firm are treated to a day in San Francisco on the Wednesday of the annual conference--most of our attorneys don't work that day because they head to San Francisco too. When I first started working for the firm over 18 years ago, the tradition was that the staff shopped most of the day and then met up with the attorneys and clients at a S.F. restaurant for appetizers; afterward, we'd leave to head back to Sacramento and the attorneys would stay for dinner with the clients. The attorney conference and associated seminars began the next day. In recent years, though, we just go and shop; we no longer meet up with the attorneys or clients.

The party limo was a new thing this year--normally we go in three "standard" limos, divided up into groups depending on where each group wants to shop. This year, we still had three or four groups, but the party bus drove between the groups and ferried us around the city, and when the party bus was already busy, we'd grab a cab.

My group wanted to start out in the Hayes district and do a little shopping. Our first stop was this darling store. Can you see the Santa ornament in the window, kind of high up? I ended up buying one of those--it's kind of a circus Santa.

At 12:30, it was time for lunch at Absinthe, a popular and trendy restaurant known at least in part for its extensive specialty cocktail menu and artisanal cheeses.

We tried out a few of those specialty cocktails. If you ever go to Absinthe, the Casino is yummy. Kind of like a gin martini but with a cherry floating in the bottom. Just to make sure I liked it, I had two. I also enjoyed a chestnut and mushroom soup and a cheese platter of brie and grapes. Good stuff.

The Santa ornament was packed in a box with shredded purple and white paper; because my friend Teri likes purple, I let her wear the paper on her head. I'm nice like that. (She was drinking a Sacred Heart, or maybe it was a Bleeding Heart? Well, actually she was drinking two.)

Since San Francisco is so architecturally recognizable, I took a couple photos for you. After lunch, we headed to the Noe Valley area for more shopping, and that's where I took these photos. We were walking down a hill to the shopping area--the party bus let us out early because he was afraid of bottoming out on the hill.

Another cool shop--this was in Noe Valley and is called The Urban Nest. I was sorely tempted to buy more Christmas stuff like those snowmen, but I resisted.

More Noe Valley architecture. See the inflatables? See the Christmas decorations? And the sign? It said something like Happy Holidays, Noe Valley, and 2009. I'm not sure what that meant--if it was just something the owner put up or if it was some kind of award. I was sitting outside Starbucks at the time, drinking an iced latte, and freezing to death. An iced anything wasn't a good plan, especially since I realized after I ordered that there was no available seating inside and it was really, really cold outside. Brrrrr!

We ended the day at the Ferry Building down near the Bay. The Ferry Building is filled with all kinds of food-related shops. I would have LOVED to buy some exotic (to me!) mushrooms at the mushroom shop except I don't have much experience with exotic mushrooms--not even enough to have a clue about what to buy! We did a little cheese tasting at the cheese shop, and I came home with about a pound of cheese altogether--four different kinds. Yum! And boy was that shop FRAGRANT! All of us--the office staff--gathered at the Market Bar for some appetizers and then at 7 p.m., we boarded the party bus back to Sacramento.

Good-bye San Francisco! See you next year!

Da Trees

I've spent a good part of the evening running a program to clean up my computer, so it's late! I thought I'd show you a little more of my Christmas decorating tonight since it's too late for any deep, insightful thoughts. And, first of all, I should tell you that I took these photographs on a camera setting that makes the photos come out all pretty and warm looking but kinda fuzzy, so it's not your eyes, it's me.

Now, the living room tree--I call this "The Gay Guy Tree" because of all the fairies, gnomes, and Santas wearing velvety tights. Yeah, probably not exactly "PC" but just don't tell anyone, okay? The other option is to call it the "Fantasy Tree" but that has its drawbacks too. And then there are the big, red, glowing balls (which I don't mean to imply have anything to do with the name of the tree)--they don't photograph very well. They don't really glow that much in real life--the camera flash tends to do that. And what I don't think made it into the photo are some really cool brushed gold mercury glass LARGE ornaments of--well, I guess they're kind of like moon faces or something. Anyway, they're pretty excellent but they didn't make it into this photo--maybe another time.

Yep, that's the peppermint and candy cane tree, close up.

Then there's the Sweat Shop tree--see the faux button garland and Raggedy Annies and such? It seemed like a good theme for a sewing room tree.

And the office tree, which is next to me on the desk where I'm typing--that had birds and pinecones and berry garland--kind of generic but I like the more "rustic cabin" look. It works in here.

And finally, the tree in the guest bedroom. This one's decorated with snowmen and snowflakes. I think it needs a little more in the way of ornaments, but it will do for now.

By the way, contrary to the popular misconception, I do not have a bathroom tree. And we no longer have a tree in our bedroom because we found the lights kept us awake--not a good thing. So that's it for the Tour d'Tree. Thanks for stopping by!

I'm Full!

My head and heart are full of stuff. With my head, it may still be the leftovers of the flu. My heart? Well, maybe I should watch my cholesterol better. But besides all that, and on a less literal level . . . .

First, we interrupt this holiday tour of my home for tonight's blog post.

Second, alert the media: It snowed in Sacramento on December 7, 2009!

Now if you aren't familiar with Sacramento, then you probably don't know that snow in Sacramento is just one step warmer than Hell freezing over. We get snow about once every 15 years here in the valley--the foothills, which aren't too far away, and the Sierra Nevada range get a fair amount of snow, but the valley? Hardly ever!

On the news yesterday, the weather guy was predicting the possibility of snow in Sacramento overnight and into the morning. I gotta say I was kind of excited! I woke up around 6 a.m. when Stitch was trying to find a comfortable place to sleep on my face, and I jumped out of bed and ran to the bedroom window to see if it had snowed. It was awfully dark out, but the grass looked maybe a little lighter than normal, so I went to the kitchen sliding glass door for a better look. Nope, it seemed it was just my imagination. So, back to bed I went. At 7 a.m., I woke again. Still no snow. At 7:30, I was getting a cup of coffee when I noticed this:

SNOW! So I ran to the front of the house and opened the front door and saw THIS:

MORE snow!

Just on the off chance, I called the office to see if they'd decided to close the office for a snow day--because, after all, if Sacramento WAS EVER GOING TO HAVE A SNOW DAY, this was it! Sadly, I learned it was business as usual, so I told them that once I dug my car out of the half inch of snow, I'd head on in.

So there you go! Snow in Sacramento in December! What could be more Christmas-like?!

Well, let me tell you! Driving home from work, as I drove through our residential area, I noticed Christmas lights--beautiful, wonderful, twinkling lights! And hardly an inflatable to be found! (If you've been with me for awhile, you might know how I feel about inflatables, but if not, read THIS. And seriously? If you have an inflatable or two, that's okay--what bugs me are the yards where there are 15 inflatables that have no relation to one another. I'm particularly bothered during the day when the inflatables aren't inflated and it looks like there are skinny, dead Santas and other holiday figures scattered all over the lawn!)

For me, there's something magical in the first real sight of Christmas lights--my heart beats a little faster for just a second, and I'm transported back to that childhood feeling of wonder and of all things being possible.

So tonight I think I'm going to take a little break and just enjoy the evening, reading and drinking hot chocolate and thinking about Christmas. Tomorrow I'll get a few more photos of the decorations to share with you. And don't forget--if you've posted photos on your blog of your holiday decorating, let me know so I can come visit and put a link in my sidebar--and don't forget to visit the blogs that are listed there to see what other bloggers have been doing to deck their halls!

And coming up soon? I think I want to post photos of what I think are my tackiest holiday decorations, and I'll invite you to do the same, so think about it while you're decorating your home. We're doing a white elephant gift exchange at work along similar lines, so I'll be digging out a few boxes that aren't opened very often!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you're starting to find a little bit of the magic of the holiday season--whether that's Christmas or another holiday occasion--in your head and heart!

Hey! Look at This!

By 8 p.m. Sunday, the decorating (and cleaning!) were done. This is how I felt--except very tired too:

I don't know if you remember the guy in the above photo--yes, I'm SURE you remember Santa, but do you remember THIS Santa? See, he was missing last year. I'd bought him the year before and I was kind of frantic when we couldn't find him last year. Well, same thing this year--still couldn't find him. Finally Hubby looked in some random storage bin that wasn't even marked as Christmas decorations and there he was!

Okay, so are you ready for a little tour? I'll show you the living room and the kitchen tonight. My camera batteries went dead so that's all I got, but I bet you'll run out of attention span by the end of these photos anyway. Here's the living room tree.

Although the living room tree is awfully pretty and I like it, I'm not getting excited about it anymore. I've been thinking about changing to something different next year but I don't know what. No, none of these decorations are the real "memory" kind--when the kids were little, we had a soccer tree because they were both crazy about soccer. Once they moved out, I transitioned to this tree. Now what? I guess I'll keep thinking. You can see the bleached bottle brush trees and putz houses (faux vintage) on the mantle--maybe I'll get a better photo of those in the next couple days.

Now let's move into the kitchen, shall we? Remember the peppermints and candy canes? Yep, there's the tree.

And there's more on the table and in the hutch. See Spike on the chair and Stitch on the floor? They're playing better together now, although they still have their moments!

Here's a closer shot of the hutch and the dishes and things in it--I just love the cuteness of Christmas!

Now for a few close ups. The Anna Lee dolls HAVE to come out each year, although Hubby doesn't like them very much. They used to be my mom's. Admittedly, I didn't think much of them when I was younger either, but now they're "VINTAGE" and for whatever reason, I just love vintage, so now they're pretty cool!

Another vintage favorite--found at Goodwill last year--is the lighted snowman. Can you believe Hubby thought I should give him away this year as a white elephant gift? We're supposed to bring a "tacky holiday decoration," and this was his pick! HRUMPH!

So sometime last week, I decided it would be really cute if I made half curtains for the kitchen to go with the peppermint/candy cane theme. All I can say is that with the crazy ideas I come up with, it's a good thing I know how to sew!

I thought making a cover for the lampshade to match would be cute too. Sheesh!

So, yeah, those are a couple reasons it takes all day long to decorate the kitchen! I was actually half done with the curtains before the decorating started, but I DID have to finish them and cover the lampshade.

Here's a close up of one of the kitchen counters. When Gran and I went on our last road trip, I found that plate holder, and I'm really happy I did! That flicker candle lamp was missing last year too, but it was found when Santa was found. The only thing I can think of that I haven't been able to find this year is a candy cane striped candle--I bet I know where it is, but it's too hard to get to easily. Maybe later!

Finally, another crafty project. I saw a project at Moda Bakeshop using a honey bun to make a wreath, and I shared the link with my friend Missy. Missy decided to make some wreaths, varying the size of the fabric pieces a little, and then she shared with me what she'd figured out, so I HAD to make one too. I'm not a fan of tearing fabric, but for this project, we both thought torn strips worked much better than cut. I think that ribbon is too white and sparkly for the wreath and I may change it later, but it was the only thing I had on hand.

So that's it for tonight's show. Remember to leave me a comment if you've put Christmas decorating photos on your blog, and I'll add you to my link list in the sidebar.

I'm totally pooped tonight, and I'm already in my jammies and ready for bed. See you tomorrow night!

Stuff to Do

I was thinking today about a Christmas many, many years ago, back in the day when I was organized. And when I say "the day" that's just about what I mean--my organization didn't last very much longer than a day, or a season.

I don't know what came over me this particular year. I had little kids and we didn't have a lot of money, but I wanted to make sure we had something for everyone in our families. I had some arts and crafts ideas for some gifts, and cookies and baskets for other gifts. I planned it all out and knew exactly what we were going to give to each person. I sat down with a calendar and wrote down when each batch of cookies would be made and when each gift would be made. Hubby was primarily in charge of making sure the kids were occupied, fed, bathed, put to bed--you know, I'm sure, all the things that need to be done for kids. Hubby did it all, and that freed up enough of my time to get the Christmas gifts made.

I've always been very good at staying on goal, and so I kept to the calendar and finished each thing as it came up. Christmas came along and everything was ready. Everything went smoothly. Nothing was forgotten. It was a good Christmas.

I can't say, though, THAT particular Christmas was any better than the others we've had; just more organized. Sometimes I long for that organization. Sometimes I think that making lists and putting everything on a calendar takes up too much time and doesn't take into account the opportunities for fun that may come up during the holiday season--or the flu! Then what? No room for deviation!

Most years, I do what I can do. I keep mental lists. By the time Christmas arrives, things seem to have fallen into place. If asked to categorize my Christmas preparation methods, I'd probably say "organized chaos."

I DO wish I had more time though--more time for family, friends, and festivities. And this year, the flu bug stole nearly a week of my time, and I'm running to catch up! Today I finished decorating the kitchen, the most time-consuming part of my Christmas decorating. Of course, like many of you, I wonder how a kitchen can take an entire day of decorating, but it does. And I'm tired, tired, tired tonight.

As I was taking a bath and washing the decorating dirt off just a little bit ago, I wondered about baking cookies. When will I do that? For the last few years, I haven't done much Christmas baking except for the 672 applesauce cakes I baked last year (okay, a SLIGHT exaggeration!), but I'd like to bake a few things this year. Maybe I'll find a little time next weekend or later this week. How about you? Do you have any baking plans? Maybe we can share some recipes!

Tomorrow, in the daylight, I'll take some photos to share of my Christmas decorations. And I'm not done yet--I still have bedrooms and bathrooms, offices and sewing rooms left to transform! But I'm getting there! List or no list, scheduled on a calendar or tracked in my head, one way or another, the decorating MUST be done by Sunday night. I guess it's time now to go to bed, because tomorrow will be another long day!

A Little Taste of Christmas

One of my holiday favorites--enjoy!

Find more videos like this on www.truveo.com.

One Down, Four to Go--Or Something Like That

This morning I called Hubby from work and said, "When I come home tonight, we're going to listen to Christmas music and decorate. I only have this weekend to decorate, so I need you to either get excited and help or find something else to do!" Hubby laughed at my threats of forced Christmas music but went along with the plan generally. His only concern was what he was going to fix for dinner and how he was going to manage it without getting in my way. "Fast food," was my answer, and so it was--Chinese take out and Christmas music courtesy of Serius Satellite Radio on our Dish Network. (At least for a little while, although I'll admit that some of those songs weren't what I would have chosen, so eventually the music channel was changed to a television channel.)

And now? At the end of the evening? Well, the living room is dressed for the holiday--all the broad strokes are in, anyway. There are a few details to add as I get into the boxes of smaller decorations and greenery, but they're minor. And that was my goal for the evening--to get that room done.

Tomorrow? The kitchen, maybe! That's really the biggest job, but it's also the most fun. But I also have two bedrooms and a bathroom--or two. And maybe an office. And the Sweat Shop. So there's more to be done, and I'm not sure there's enough energy to go around, although Hubby really was a BIG help tonight--more than he normally is.

I noticed that quite a few of us are decorating this weekend, so here's an idea: Those of us with blogs could do a "Christmas home tour" through photos posted to our blogs. I'll try to get a few up tomorrow night and the next night. Are you in? If so, just leave me a comment once you've posted some photos and I'll create a link list in my sidebar of blogs to visit for Christmas eye candy!

And speaking of Christmas eye candy--I'm sure many of you already know, but if you don't, go on over to visit Nicole at Sister's Choice. She's posting photos of Christmas quilts she's made and telling stories about the quilts. Lovely quilts and the stories give us all something to think about.

Remember the Red Christmas Glogg I was making? I don't think I told you, but we "tested" it on Thanksgiving and the vote was unanimous--yum! The Wild Child, who is a bartender in real life, mixed the Glogg half and half with Collins Mix and it made a pretty good drink, although it was a bit on the sweet side. I'll have to post my version of the basic Glogg recipe for you because I modified it a little. Anyway, tonight I strained and bottled all the lovely red goodness--something else I need to get a photo of because it's QUITE festive looking!

Now that I've put in a hard night's labor at decorating, straining, and bottling, it's time for bed. The weekend is here, and I'm most definitely sleeping in tomorrow!

Feeling a Little More Festive

Thanks for all the encouraging words today! I think it's not so much that I'm not feeling Christmas as it is that it's just such a BIG job to decorate the way I enjoy. And someone said something about dusting--yep, it's that too! I have to clean all the nooks and crannies before I can put the decorations out. The GOOD thing is, though, that once the decorations are out, every surface is so covered by STUFF that there's no possibility of having to dust again until it all gets put away. So there IS that to look forward to!

A little birdie told me that my buddy Gran wrote about me on her blog--about me and my need for cheering up so I can get into the Christmas spirit. She's an awfully good friend and cheerleader! I don't think many of you saw the poem she left in the comment section of my blog, so I'll reprint it here:

"So, what is a Kim to do with the flu.
Let me tell you true.
She will not be happy until
all the peppermints
are hung, laid out or strung.

So, come on Sis,
Sip a little glog,
Point your finger to the next box
that DH can haul,
open it and delight as
your home takes on
the sweet spirit of the season.

(All done, of course,
4 feet off the ground
this year.)"

Isn't she a hoot? Later this month, Gran, Pam (Orcsmom), Pam's BFF Colleen No-Blog, and I are going to celebrate Christmas together at PMS night (PMS=pizza, munchies, and soda) at an out-of-town quilt shop, and I'm really looking forward to that evening and some of the other social festivities that will be coming up in the next few weeks. And that brings me to another thing--

Someone else commented about having sick family members and a busy social schedule between now and Christmas and not knowing when they'd find the time and energy to decorate--yep, me too! That's exactly my problem. So I DO think I'll devote this weekend to decorating and get as much done as I can and then be happy with whatever that may be. Because, really, this weekend is the last chance I'll have--and absolutely, positively NO illnesses are allowed to visit!

And finally? Yes, I know it's awfully shallow and materialistic of me, but sometimes a gal's gotta do something to jump start her enthusiasm, and having come to that realization by the time my lunch hour came along today, I headed over to the Hundred Dollar Store (aka Target) for a little retail decorating therapy:

So now the plan is to come home from work on Friday night, gather up the decorations, and start transforming the house into a winter wonderland. Or something Christmassy. Wish me luck!